The Lost Egg and the Rise of a A New Queen
by Adorabella
Summary: The oldtimers are up to their usual tricks. They have stolen the Golden Queen Ramoth’s queen egg. Unfortunately, they lose it in the Northern Continent. Tamora is a girl from a poor family, and she finds this lost queen egg.
1. Egg Napping

Chapter one: Egg napping

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pern

Lessa woke with a start; she sat up straight and looked about in the dark. Ramoth was screaming. The watch dragon had roused the whole weyr with a challenging bugle. Lessa got up quickly and put on one of her gowns, then rushed into Ramoth's weyr. She was gone. Lessa rushed to the ledge, F'lar right behind her, pulling on a Tunic.

'Shards!' he exclaimed. Angry dragons could be seen on the ledges, their wing spread, ready for action. Their eyes whirling angrily orange. Lessa ignored him and raced down the steps, across the bowl and into the hatching ground. Her mind was frantic, what was wrong? She had to know what was going on. She rushed onto the sands, oblivious to the heat, and stopped. Ramoth stood there, swaying. Her eyes were whirling with a mixture of anger and stress. She stood to the one side of the clutch where the raised platform was, where the queen egg was kept. It was gone. F'lar arrived behind her. When he saw that the queen egg was gone, he swore savagely, then turned round and disappeared into the crowd.

_I am so sorry; I did not see the oldtimer dragons until they took flight with the egg. _The watch dragon sadly informed her. Ramoth swung her triangular head over Lessa, then back over the remaining eggs in the clutch. She whined. F'lar came back to her side.

'Mnementh told me it was the oldtimers' His face was angry, his voice constricted. 'I've sent messages to all the weyrs, and I've sent out sweep riders'

Lessa turned on him quickly, surprised.

'Why?' she demanded so harshly that F'lar winced. 'They took Ramoth's egg to the Southern Weyr! So why send out sweep riders?' F'lar put his hands on her shoulders.

'D'van, A bronze rider who did a sweep near Bitra, saw a group of them carrying something. Igen and Telgar weyrs have sent out sweep riders as well. Don't forget that _between_ is dangerous for an egg.' He said soothingly. Lessa looked at her weyrmate hopefully. F'lar sighed.

'I'm just about to go join the sweep around Igen hold; they are more likely to be there.' He said, eyeing her carefully. When she made no response, he sighed and walked away. Lessa turned her head to Ramoth, needing the comfort of the Golden beast. Ramoth rustled her wing restlessly.

'I would really love to go Ramoth' She said to her dragon.

_I would love to, Lessa, but I am not leaving my eggs because they might steal another egg!_ She snorted and returned her attention to the remaining eggs.

Mnementh's powerful wings took F'lar up, he was seething. The nerve of them! F'lar directed the wing _between_ to Igen hold, through Mnementh; he told the wing to keep an eye out for a group of unknown dragons. The whole wing spread out. Why had the oldtimers taken the egg? He knew that their queens were unable to mate, but their bronzes were far too old to fly a young queen, yet alone a Benden queen! They would die in the attempt. Mnementh growled.

_They wouldn't care; they are desperate for a queen, and for young dragons._

F'lar stroked the dragon's smooth neck soothingly.

'I agree with you, they are desperate and they would kill their dragons in the process!'

Suddenly, to the left of them, a brown dragon roared a challenge.

_They've been spotted!_

The whole wing sped up, flying low to the ground to avoid detection. The oldtimers were gliding south, towards the Southern weyr. They suddenly spiralled down, back winged to rest in a clearing. The one bronze of the group placed something into the warm sand. The rider climbed down and unwrapped the object in the sands. There was a golden gleam. Mnementh hissed.

When the wing was close enough, the dragons let out a deafening challenge. Some of the oldtimer dragons took flight, startled. The bronze covered the egg with his body. He spread his wings and growled at them. Mnementh went straight for the bronze protecting the egg. The airborne oldtimers went straight for F'lar's wing. The oldtimer dragons were outnumbered. There was a lot of manoeuvring in the air. There was no contact at first. Then, a brown dragon in F'lar's wing bites a tail of an oldtimer. Soon, other wing began to arrive and the bulk of the oldtimers retreated, then went _between_. Mnementh landed beside the oldtimer bronze and growled at him. F'lar dismounted. He kept his hand near his knife. Other dragons landed and their riders dismounted as well.

'Hand over the queen egg' F'lar demanded, although he was sure the rider would not comply.

'I think not _bronze rider!_' the rider growled insultingly. Then, before anyone could stop him, he leaped onto his dragon. The bronze dragon seized the egg and leaped into the air, beating his wings furiously. Airborne dragons roared and set up a pursuit. The bronze flew over a set of trees. Several of the wing went _between_ to appear in front of the bronze. The startled bronze accidentally dropped the precious egg. Some dragons roared a warning. Mnementh spread his wings. The Oldtimer bronze disappeared _between_. The egg had fallen into the trees. Without order, the riders spread out over the forest. The dragons in the sky and their riders looked into the forest from above. F'lar swore, called up his wing second, F'nor. He ordered him to take charge, then returned to the weyr.

Lessa listened to F'lar's report with a sinking feeling in her stomach. All the weyrleaders were there, as well as Masterharper Robinton. When F'lar had finished, an uneasy silence had fallen onto the gathering.

'So, what are you going to do now, F'lar?' Robinton asked quietly. The man was seated in a chair, next to a glowbasket. The light reflected off his hair and beard, making it seem like they were in fire.

'Why, we're going to attack the oldtimers!' flared up Lessa.

'Now, Lessa, out first concern is the egg' F'lar gently told her.

'Where is this egg?' G'narish of Igen weyr asked. F'lar brushed away the lock of hair that fell in front of his eyes.

'Somewhere east of Igen hold' F'lar replied. 'We have sent wings to search for the egg, and Igen hold have sent out teams to look two. We can only hope they find it in time, the clutch hatches in two days, or it will hatch.'

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Please R&R! 


	2. Discovery

Chapter two; discovery.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pern

The day started beautiful, the sun was bright and the day clear. Tamora started with the ritual of washing in the river and getting dressed in her ragged clothes. She looked into the mirror, a reminiscence of their rich days. She put her hands on her hips. She had a slender body, she was not surprised as she normally went without food. She touched her well shaped chin. She had a pointed face, small nose, well shaped lips, green angler eyes surrounded by auburn hair. She had arched eyebrows, she thought herself pretty, but not beautiful.

'Tamora! Hurry up!' Tamora winced. That was her mother, Corona. She was a very small person, sweet, but very demanding. She sighed. She walked from the room she shared with her sisters into the main room.

It was a large room. A cooking hearth stood at one end with a spit. A table with twelve chairs stood in front of it. The rest of the room was split into two sections, one for the woman's tasks and the other for the men's. Tamora sat down at the table. Next to her sat her brother, Venana, he was a tall man, twenty turns old. He was handsome with long brown hair. Her other brother, Cornice, who was a turn older then her at sixteen. He, to, was handsome with black hair and he was tall. Next to him sat her oldest sister, Kiana, eighteen. She had long blonde hair and face like her own. Her other sister, Vivian, fourteen turns old, was sitting opposite her. She was exactly like her mother. Her farther, Venice, sat at the end. He was a tall, proud man. Broad shoulders with shoulder long blonde hair. Her mother placed bowls of porridge in front of them.

She sat in her place at the other end of the table, picked up a spoon and started to eat. The others followed suit. After they had eaten, Corona picked up the bowls and put them into the sink. She took the water that was heating on the fire and poured it over the dishes.

'Come on children, you have hunting to do, we cannot afford to miss out on this years tithe.' Venice said seriously, he was normally a humorous man, but they all knew why he was like this. Their lord holder, Laudey of Igen hold, said that if they did not provide this year's tithe, then they would be made holdless. They got themselves ready for the hunt. When they were ready, the gathered in the main room for instructions. Venice cleared his throat.

'Now, today…' he started, then a sharp, urgent tapping came from the door. Venice went to the door and opened it. In the doorway stood an angry man. He was wearing a minor holders knot.

'My name is Dovan, I'm here on urgent business.' His gaze swept over all of them. His eyes briefly paused on Tamora. Tamora knew that he had hoped to espouse her, but she had no interest since he was old and she was only fifteen. That was one of the reasons he hated her father.

'Lord Laudey has sent me to you to send out your family.'

'Why?' Her father asked politely, though he had paled slightly. Dovan looked at him in distain and looked at him over his nose.

'Why!' he almost roared 'Why! Ramoth's queen egg is missing. This morning, oldtimers came and stole the egg and carried it to a few miles of this cot. When Benden dragons attacked them, they lost the egg' He looked hard at her father, then turned, went to his runnerbeast, mounted and rode off. Venice slammed the door and swore.

'Get out of here and find that ruddy egg, and you better find it!'

Tamora ran along the path, her eyes sweeping her surroundings. She suddenly stopped. She could hear the cry of an wherry. She grinned. She liked wherries, they tasted good. She removed the rope from her belt. She cocked her head, listening for the source of the sound. She suddenly saw it. It was on the ground, eating berries off a bush. Tamora sneaked up behind the dumb creature. When she was close enough, she threw the rope. The rope tightened around the wherries neck, and Tamora sharply pulled the rope back, neatly breaking the birds neck. She took off the rope and put the wherry across her back. She then started on the road again. Why had the oldtimers taken the egg? If they really wanted the egg, they would not be so careless as to loss the precious egg. This troubled her. She stopped, breathing hard, she needed to rest. She looked about, then smiled. Her favourite cave. It was the perfect spot to rest. A cliff going straight up was surrounded by a forest of trees that smelt sweet in the summer. Tamora spent most of her free time here. It was so peaceful. A shadow passed over her, she looked up quickly. It was a green dragon, flying low to the ground. She waved but the rider did not see her. She sighed. She climbed into the cave. It was dark, but in a little crevice she had hid a small glowbasket, which she replaced frequently. She unshielded it. She went deeper into the cave. She sat down on a natural bench, putting the wherry next to her. She took a meatroll out of her pouch. She ate it, thinking hard about the egg. Then, in the corner of her eye, she saw a golden gleam. She held the glowbasket higher. What she saw made her freeze with shock. It was the missing Queen egg! She gaped. She stood up and went to the egg. She knelt beside it. She touched it, it was hard and warm. She was not surprised; this cave was warmed by a lava flow that ran underneath the cave. She couldn't believe it; she had found the queen egg! She had to tell someone. She ran out of the cave and looked around. It was empty. She frowned, it seemed a bit silent. This is the furthest she would normally go because she wouldn't be able to get home before dark. She rushed back to the cave and put her hands on the egg, she felt it rock slightly.

Lessa sat on a chair next to the table, a full glass of Benden wine next to her. She was waiting for F'lar. When Ramoth had told her that his wing had attacked the group of oldtimers with the egg and had lost the egg, She was furious! F'lar had some things coming to him. Suddenly, there was some shouting from the stairs. Lessa stood up. What was going on now? F'lar burst into the room. R'gul, F'nor and D'van following close behind. F'lar's face was like a thundercloud. He went to the table and poured himself a glass of wine. He downed it on one. He poured more wine into his glass, then poured wine into three other glasses. Lessa stared at the four angry men.

'Well!' She demanded. F'lar glanced at her, and then sighed. He brushed the lock of hair out of his eyes.

'We've been tricked!' he exclaimed.

'What do you mean?' Lessa asked, impatient.

'Other groups of oldtimers have been spotted carrying gold eggs. And fake ones at that!' He looked extremely angry.

Lessa just sat there, shocked. What was going on? D'van cleared his throat.

'I think that they wanted us to think they were going somewhere else. They may have done the one jump to the Southern weyr. The other oldtimers may have been a distraction. If so, then while we were looking for the egg here, they would have time to influence the egg, or maybe even get it so it hatches there.' Lessa stared at him. D'van was a very handsome man. He had bright green eyes and shoulder length black hair. He was tall and a little muscularly, but not to much. He was thinner then other bronze riders, and yet he was very intelligent and had a lovely singing voice. He had been apprenticed in the harperhall before becoming a bronze rider two years ago, and his bronze, Conleth, was almost as big as Mnementh was!

'He could be right you know, Lessa' F'lar told her. Lessa stared at F'lar, then said impatiently.

'Well, go to the southern weyr and find out!'

Later that evening, F'lar came back to the weyr. The search of southern weyr proved fruitless. Even the Queen dragons said the egg was not there, in any time! That could only mean that the egg was still here in the North. Lessa would be so worried. The clutch hatches tomorrow! If the egg is kept properly warm, then it will hatch and die as there is no candidate there. Or, be very cool and not hatch at all. F'lar was so angry, the nerve of the oldtimers to steal the egg so near hatching. Lessa will properly take her anger out on me, he thought. He sighed. He walked into the weyr, Mnementh's eyes following him. Lessa was not there. He cursed. Then, Ramoth whined. There were footsteps on the stairs. Lessa came up. She saw him, she was still very angry. She saw him, she opened her mouth to speak. He held up his hand to stop her from saying anything. He went to the table and sat down. Lessa looked at him, then went to the cabinet and poured a glass for him.

He accepted the wine. He took a sip. Lessa was watching him closely.

'No Lessa, we did not find the egg there. We even looked though time, but that failed.' He said gently, to tired to really talk. Lessa looked at him hard, then said briskly.

'Go to bed F'lar. You look very tired and you cannot do much when your tired.' F'lar looked at her, then smiled briefly.

'I think I will.' He replied getting up. He walked into the sleeping rooms and lay down without undressing. He was so tired that he fell instantly asleep.

Tamora, still in the cave, sat down next to the egg. She suddenly felt very tired. She fell asleep, stretched across the egg.


End file.
